Toy railway track



p 1932- L. w. ROSENTHAL 1,876,347

TOY RAILWAY TRACK Filed March 18, 1931 2 Sheets-Shea 1 Z 8 INIVENTOR ,8 Q ,4 Q14.

m-' 1932- w. ROSENTHAL 1,876,347

TOY RAILWAY TRACK Filed March 18, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Sept. 6, I932 PATENT OFFICE LEON: w. nosEN'rHAL, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

f TOY RAILWAY TRACK Applicationlfiled am is, 1931. Serial No. 523,484.

This invention relates to toy railways, and

more'particularly to the construction of track sections and improvements therein.

One object'of this invention isto provide I and center t1e 2,to which are secured in elec- 55 5 a toy track section wherein one or more of the track rails is subdivided to provlde one or more electrically isolated or insulated portions; that is, to .provide a track section wherein one or more of the track rails in- IOclude'a portion or portions electrically isolated or insulatedfrom'but continuous with the remainder; of itsrail or rails, and which insulated portions may preferably'have inrail or rails.

-Another' object of the invention is to provide a track section'comprising a plurality of, cross 'ties,a pair of track rails in elec trica]. contact therewith, and a power rail insulated therefrom, "said track rails having insulating pins at their ends.

Still another object is to provide a novel method and means for electrically connecting two rails or portions of a rail through an intermediate rail or portion of a rail continuous therewith, and'still other objects are to provide novel and useful insulating elements, as well asto provide insulating elements arranged to be inserted between rail ends to preventsaid railends from coming into electrical contact with each other.

In the'accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates a standard form'of toy track section ;'Figs. 2 to 7 show said track sec- I """tion modified to embody one aspect of my invention, namely that first obj ectified; Figs. 6 and 7 also show my means for electrically connecting two portions of a track rail through an intermediate portion continuous "therewith, whereby the fourth and fifth objects-are exemplified; Fig. 6a is an enlarged detail of one form of new insulating pin or element; Fig. 6b is-a section ontthe line 66 6]) of Fig. 6;'Fig. 8 is a section on the "line 8-8 of Fig. 7 9 is a section on the line '-99 of Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a modification of Fig. 8; Fig. 11 isa section on the line 11-11- of Fig. 10; Fig.:12 is a further modification of Fig. 8; Fig. 13is a 'sectionon the "line 13*-13 of Fig. 12;- and Fig."14 exemplitermediate disposition in the'length of its" provided with an insulated portion 6. In

in therail heads of the insulated portions 3 fies the track section referred to in the second named object; I

For reference, the standard track section (Fig. 1) consists of three cross ends ties, 1, 1

trical contact therewith outer track rails, 3,4 and a power or third rail 5 insulated therefrom. v a In Fig. 2, track rail 4 is subdivided to provide a portion of rail 6 which is insulatively fi joined to the other portions of said rail by insulating pins 7, 7. In Fig. 3, track rail 4 is provided with two such insulated portions 6. In Fig. 4, track rails 3 and 4' are each Fig. 5, track rails 3 and 4 are provided with coextensive insulated portions 8, 8 in elec-' trical contact with cross tie 2, while in Fig.

' 6 said rails include each an insulated portion 9, 9, each in electrical contact with the cen- 7 Reverting'to Figs. 6 and 7, thefsame disclose means for electrically connectingtwo portions of a rail or two rails through an intermediate portion of a rail or a rail in order to maintain the conductive continuity of said separated rails or portions of rails across the insulated portion or portions of rails. In 1 each of said figures there is shown as disposed fers in each of thesefigures, and will now be described more fully. In Fig. 6, and in accordance with Figs. 6a and 6b, the bare ends of the insulated conductor 12 pass through an insulating element or pin 7 a, which consists of a body 7 b of insulating material having a thickenedmedial portion 7 0 arranged to be interposed'between abutting vrail ends.- On one end 7 d of said element is fastened a insulated portion 11 in rail 4 is insulated from 5 7 said tie.

Ilafl metal cap 76, to which said conductor is soldered or otherwise electrically connected. Preferably said element 7a has a longitudinal bore 7 through which the end of the bare conductor passes and the metal cap is also provided with an opening 7 g registering with said bore so that the end of the conductor may be brought out. and soldered to the exposed end of said cap. The insulative ends 7 h of said pins are inserted in the rail heads of the insulated portions of rail 9, 9, while the metallic ends of said pins are inserted in the 'rail heads of 33 or 44, as the case may be.

In Figs. 7 and 8, there is shown as substituted for the insulating element 7a of Fig. 6 etc), the insulating pin 13. Said pin is insulative at both ends and is provided with a medial thickened portion to prevent abutting rail ends from coming into electrical contact with each other. The said pin 13 also has a longitudinal bore therein through which the bare end of the insulated conductor 12 is passed, but instead of said conductor being soldered to a metal cap on said pin or the 'like, the end of said conductor is soldered directly to the rail portion 3 or 4. To permit said conductor to be brought out at a point intermediate the ends of the pin 13, the latter is provided with a slot 130;. In accordance with Figs. 7, 8 and 9, each of the conductor ends 12a, 12a is bent at the point where it comes into contact with the ends of rail portions 3' or 4, as the case may be, and soldered to said portions at a point 15 at or near the abutting ends of said portions, as clearly shown in said figures.

In place of the insulating element 7 a or the insulating pin 13, I may employ an insulating ring 16-for interposition between the insulated rail end and the uninsulated. rail end, for instance between insulated portion 11 and rail portion 4, as shown in Fig. 10. The said ring is provided with an opening through which the conductor 12 passes. As shown in said figure, the end of the conductor 12a is inserted an appreciable distance into the rail head of 4 and brought down between the side plates 4?), 4b of rail 4 and soldered at 15 to the bottom of the rail as clearly shown in Fig. 11.

Instead of disposing the conductor 12 in the rail head of an insulated portion of rail, I may dispose it in a rolled flange 17 of said insulated rail, as indicated in Figs. 12 and 13.

Referring to Fig. 14, there is illustrated a track section comprising cross ties 18, 18, track rails 19, 19 in electrical contact with said cross ties, and a power rail 20 insulated from said cross ties. In the ends of track rails 19, 19 are disposed insulating pins pref: erably 7 a, 7 a, connected, each pair, by an in sulated conductor 12 disposed in the heads of said track rail, as described in connection with Figs. 6, 6a and 6?).

Reverting to Fig. 2, there is indicated an electrical device 14 connected respectively to the power rail and the insulated portion 6. lVhen the wheels 01'' a train span track rail 3 and the portion 6 in track rail 4, the said device will be energized, as is well understood. In Fig. 3 the electrical device 14 is connected to. the power rail and to both of the portions 6 of track rail 4. In Fig. 4, the device 14 is connected in the same way as in Fig. 3 to insulated portions 6, 6 in track rails 3 and 4, and the operation of said device will be similar to that in Fig. 3. In Fig. 5, the electrical device 14 may be connected to the one or the other or to bothinsulated sections 8, 8. In Fig. 6, the device 14 is connected to the power rail and to either one or both of the insulated sections9. In Fig. 7 there are two electrical devices 14, 14, one connected tothe power rail and insulated portion 10, and the. other to the power rail and insulated portion 11.v A train traversing said section will operate said devices in succession.

In Fig. 14, the electrical device 14 is connected to the power rail and either one or both of the track rails. As in Fig- 5, said device will be energized when the wheelsv of a truck, car or train simultaneously are in contact with the track rails of an adjoining section and the track rails of the instant section; The said section of Fig. 14 will not be soshort that during the passage of a train therethrough there will be an interval or interv vals when no wheels will come in contact with its track rails 19, nor so long that a locomos tive alone will stall thereon. 7

It is obvious that the insulating pins 7a together with the insulated conductor 12 ex. tending through the head of a toy rail of the usual form and connected to the conducting part of the pin at each end of the rail, may be used for various purposes in addition to the purpose herein shown, and may be ap-- plied to power or third rails as well as to; track rails. Likewise the insulated sections of rails herein shown may be used in various. other combinations and for various other purposes.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A toy railway track section having a subdivided track rail and an insulated electri ial conductor encircled by part of saidra1 I 2. A toy railway track section in which one of the track rails includes an insulated portion continuous therewith and an insu- V diate insulated portion continuous therewith and an insulated electrical conductor encircled by said portion.

4.'A toy railway track section in which both track rails have an insulated portion and an insulated electrical conductor encircled by one of said portions.

5. A toy rail having a rolled flange, and a conductor disposed in said flange and having portions projecting beyond the ends of said rail.

6. A toy rail having a rolled flange, and a conductor disposed in said flange and having portions projecting beyond said'rail tor carried by said intermediate rail electri-' cally connecting the outer rails to each other, and insulating elements carried by said conductor interposed between the intermediate rail and the outer rails.

9. In a toy electric railway, an insulating element for disposition between abutting rails having an aperture therein through which a wire may be passed.

10. In combination, two track rails, an insulating element disposed between the abutting ends of said rails and having an aperture, and a conductor carried by one of said rails passing through the aperture in said element.

11. In a toy electric railway, a continuous stretch of track rail having an intermediate insulated portion, and means for electrically connecting the rails on each side of said insulated portion other than through the ties, said means comprising a conductor encircled by part of said portion.

12. In a toy electric railway, a stretch of track rail comprising three rails joined to each other of which the intermediate one is insulated from the others, of a conductor directly connecting said other two rails and encircled by part of the intermediate rail.

13. In a toy electric railway, an insulating pin metallic at one end and insulative at the other.

14. In a toy electric railway, an insulating pin having a bore therethrou h and a metal member fastened to one end 0 said pin.

15. A toy track section comprising a plurality of ties, track rails in electrical contact therewith, a power rail insulated therefrom, and insulating pins at the ends of said track rails, said pins being perforated for the passage of a conductor.

16. In combination, two rails, an intermediate rail therebetween continuous therewith, an insulated conductor carried by said intermediate rail, insulating pins joining said intermediate rail to said other rails, said pins having metallic members where they join said other rails, and said conductor being connected to said metallic members.

17. A toy rail having an insulated conductor extending along the length thereof and enveloped by one of the flanges at the bottom of the rail.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. I 

